Blood Lust
By,
T. Lynne Tolles
New Adult
Paranormal Romance
Date Published: June 18, 2014
A surprise visit from Blake
and Devon's uncle, Dominic, demanding both vampires, come home immediately to
find what is ailing his son Anton, puts everyone on edge. Can vampires get
sick? Devon doesn't appreciate Dominic's demands, but agrees to fly back to
Connecticut with Darby, since Blake has a job to finish up in California.
Excited to meet more of Devon's family, Darby is confused by Devon's distance
and coldness since Dominic's visit.
In Connecticut, this only gets
worse when a gorgeous Libby, Anton's estranged wife, shows up unexpectedly and
seems to have her sights set on Devon. To top it all off, there's seems to be
some pent up animosity, Anton and Devon have towards each other.
What is this strange power
Libby has over the men in this family? And what's wrong with poor Anton? Why
does it seem that Anton and Devon hate each other? These are all questions
Darby sets out to answer in this third volume of the Blood Series.
EXCERPT
Dominic smiled at her
gesture and said, “I’m sorry, miss, this is a private family matter and I just
couldn’t possibly stay. You understand, don’t you?” He said this dismissively
as if speaking to a servant; polite, but not sincere.
Darby saw that Devon
was irritated by his uncle’s rude behavior and was about to say something, when
Blake jumped out of his chair and said, “Sure, Dominic. They understand.”
He glanced at the
others at the table and gave Devon an imploring look, all the while helping his
uncle with his coat. “We’ll speak in the front yard, Dominic. Go back to your
meal, enjoy! We’ll only be a minute,” Blake said rather apologetically to Darby
still standing, stunned, in front of her seat.
Darby looked at the
rest of the people at the table and said, “I’ll get some champagne flutes, to
enjoy our lovely gift.” She excused herself as Devon and Blake led Dominic to
the front yard.
They were almost to
the black limousine, when Dominic turned to the boys. “I’m in need of your
help, boys. Anton is terribly sick and I would like you both to come to
Connecticut to help me determine what is ailing him.”
“I’m very sorry Anton
is sick, but that does not excuse your…” Devon started.
“What Devon is trying
to say, Dominic,” Blake interrupted, “is that we are not boys any longer. We
have lives here, jobs, commitments, significant others. We can’t just up and leave.”
“Yes, I see you’ve
hooked up with a lively bunch of hooligans. Eating at a table with witches and
werewolf swine. How could you? So what, you with your Darby girl, and you with
the werewolf crossbreed creature? Both witches, I presume?”
“Yes. I am with Rowan,
but you don’t understand, Dominic,” Blake said.
Dominic’s eyes grew
large. “How despicable, boy! Didn’t I teach you anything? Didn’t you listen to
a word I told you? Your mother must be turning in her grave in shame. We are a
family of noble vampire blood. What a disgrace to your heritage. Vile.
Disgusting!”
“That’s enough,
Dominic. You are wrong about werewolves, like many are wrong about vampires.
You are mistaken…” Devon defended.
“How dare you? I am a
professor of science. I most definitely am not mistaken. I saw, with my own two
eyes, the horrific act of a werewolf. They are animals, not people.”
“You’re wrong,
Dominic, very wrong. These are good and decent people. They’ve risked their
lives for us on numerous occasions…” Blake tried to explain.
“Don’t bother
explaining, Blake. He won’t change his mind. He has his view, and that is the
only view he’ll ever see,” Devon said.
“I see your manners
have been severely degraded by the company you keep. I demand you come to
Connecticut immediately. Maybe you’ll find your manners there and remember your
place in society.”
“I’m not leaving. Not
for you and most definitely not for Anton,” Devon said.
“Oh, grow up, boy.
That was ages ago. Let bygones be bygones already. I won’t take no for an
answer. You will both march in there, pack your things, and come home.”
“Connecticut is not
our home. This is our home, Oljone, California. Right here, with a bunch of
great friends who are waiting for us to continue our Thanksgiving feast,” Devon
said as he turned and headed back to the house.
“Wait, Devon,” Blake
said. Devon stopped and slowly turned. “Dominic, won’t you please join us for
dinner. Get to know these people. They are family to us.”
Devon said, “Don’t
bother wasting your breath, Blake. Like I said, he’s already made up his mind
about them.”
“It’s Thanksgiving.
You said yourself, Devon, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for family,
friends and loved ones. Dominic and Anton are our only blood relatives.”
“Fine. You’re right,
Blake, I did say that. Dominic, would you please join us for dinner?”
“Thank you for the
offer but no. I can’t. No, I won’t sit at a table with two werewolves. I am
staying at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. Here are your tickets. We are
leaving at 10:50 AM tomorrow. I expect to see you on the plane.” He handed each
of them a first class ticket.
“Whoa, wait a minute.
I can’t go, Dominic. I have to work. I have a project due, deadlines, I just
can’t up and leave,” Blake insisted.
“Fine, you will join
us when you are done with your commitments.”
“I’m not going either,
Dominic. This is my home, here with Darby. There is no love lost between Anton
and me. I’m sure he doesn’t want to see me any more than I want to see him. I’m
sorry he’s sick, but for God’s sake, he’s a vampire, he’ll heal. I’m sure he
will be fine.”
“No, Devon. He won’t.
He is rapidly declining. You must help me. I demand that you help me.”
“You demand that I
help you? There’s nothing I can do for him. I’m not a doctor; you are. I’m a
software engineer. So is Blake. What could we possibly do for him?”
“You’re his family.
You can be his family. Maybe he will confide in you.”
“What makes you think
if he hasn’t confided in you, that he would do such a thing with me or Blake?”
“Because…you are his
age. You speak his language. You’re more understanding, like your mother.”
“Not where he’s
concerned,” Devon muttered under his breath.
“You must do this!”
Dominic yelled and turned red in the face, pounding a fist into his other hand,
tears welling in his ferociously angry eyes.
Blake said, “Hang on,
now. You both need to cool off a bit. Dominic, you’re going to blow a gasket.
Relax. Devon, if Darby went with you to Connecticut, would you be willing to go
and at least talk to Anton? See if maybe he would confide in you? You never know.
And if he’s really that sick, don’t you think one of us should be there? We’re
family, after all.”
“If Darby were
politely invited to come, and treated appropriately, yes, I may consider going
to Connecticut.”
“Dominic, would you be
willing to accept Darby as a guest in your home, treating her as such, for
Devon?”
He mulled this over,
taking longer than Devon would have liked, but he reluctantly agreed.
“As long as her mutant
sister does not come. Yes, I would accept the witch as a guest in my home providing
she behaves in a proper manner.”
“What the he…” Devon
started. Blake saw he was about to blow his top and interrupted.
“See, I knew this
could be worked out. Now, would you at least join us for a glass of champagne
and invite Darby properly, Dominic?”
Dominic grumbled and
nodded.
T. Lynne
Tolles
T. Lynne Tolles can be
found most days, juggling one of two cat muses and a laptop, tripping over an
ancient Newfoundland dog and washing a never-ending pile of laundry. When life
doesn’t get in the way, she writes paranormal romances for new adults.
Her passion for
witches, ghosts, and vampires together with a light-hearted wit are reflected
in her loveable characters and the adventures of mystery they unravel to find
their happily ever after.
BUY LINKS
In Between the Lines...
ReplyDeleteWanted to stop by and say Hi to you and your readers as well as thank you for hosting this spot on my Book Blitz Tour. Hope you all had a lovely and restful weekend.
Happy Reading
Teresa aka T. Lynne Tolles
Thank you for stopping by!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend yourself,
Alexa